The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its Youth in Business programme in Türkiye, building on its success in 12 other countries. The initiative aims to mobilise up to €250 million in financing to support young entrepreneurs under 35.
Backed by the Turkish government and the European Union (EU), the programme offers financial support, expertise, and business development services to address key challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, such as limited access to funding, experience, and market information.
According to the Bank, Türkiye faces persistently high youth unemployment, and the EBRD sees fostering youth-led businesses as a catalyst for economic growth. The programme will channel financing, technical assistance, and risk-sharing tools through local partner banks, which will then lend to youth-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The Youth in Business programme is currently active in Central Asia, Egypt, Morocco and the Western Balkans, and is designed to make financing more accessible for businesses.
A major focus of the initiative is to aid economic recovery in regions hit by the February 2023 earthquakes, with 70% of the programme's funding set to support businesses in those areas.
At the launch event in Istanbul, Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions, highlighted the programme’s rapid growth since its 2021 debut in Egypt, expanding to a €1 billion initiative across 12 countries.
“Türkiye’s greatest asset is its youth,” he said. “We believe this programme will thrive among the country’s dynamic and resilient young entrepreneurs.”
The launch also marked the commitment of initial Turkish banking partners, with Akbank, Şekerbank, and TEB joining the programme.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan signed defence agreements worth more than $500 million, including a deal for 14 Turkish-built Hürkuş-II trainer a...
British counter-terrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national as part of an investigation into a suspected plot involving R...
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su have joined the advisory board of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM),...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the country militarily, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while investigators examine the motive of the co-pilot involved.
Passengers restrained a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed the pilot and tried to crash a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 30 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in Europe.
North Korea has dismissed as a “farce” Seoul’s claim that Pyongyang was responsible for a landmine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line that injured three South Korean soldiers.
In the marshlands of Malluba in southern Azerbaijan, Kamil Mammadov follows a routine that has been passed down through generations. His family has worked with medicinal leeches for centuries, harvesting and breeding a species known as Hirudo orientalis, or the Caucasian medicinal leech.
Baku is hosting the second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum (AIIF 2026) and it’s attracting more interest this year, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister told AnewZ. “The agenda is very impressive. More guests, more interest,” he said.
Warren Buffett has stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of one of the most influential leadership tenures in corporate history and completing a succession process that has been years in the making.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote launched Africa's biggest-ever share sale on Monday, opening the oil refinery that has remade the country's fuel market to public ownership for the first time.
Volkswagen’s supervisory board has approved a major overhaul aimed at cutting 100,000 jobs by 2030 as the German carmaker battles weaker sales, falling profits and intensifying global competition.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment